The Stogie Guys

Last night, Cigar Rights of America held their first “CRA TV” webcast. The broadcast streamed live from CRA headquarters and featured CRA Executive Director Glynn Loope speaking about CRA’s important mission and how the group, which is less than two years old, is working to accomplish its goals.

Loope described the founding of CRA, citing a profound need for the voice for cigar consumers during the SCHIP tobacco tax battle. He then provided a comprehensive list of the states where CRA has been active in the past two years fighting smoking bans (NC, SD, CO, KY, NE, IN, PA, AL, MI, TX, LA, VA, KS, CT, WI, and NV) and fighting tobacco taxes (KY, AR, HI, CA, NH, OR, PA, UT, MI, FL, NY, WA,  and MA).

Loope reminded viewers that these battles are important not only for the states directly affected, but because opposition sends a message to those considering similar measures elsewhere. For example, he sees a legal challenge to the New York City law mandating graphic anti-smoking propaganda posters be displayed whereever tobacco products are sold as critical not just for New York but because Boston and possibly other cities are considering similar measures.

Loope also reported on the ongoing rule-making process regarding FDA oversight of cigars. According to Loope, there is “no greater threat” to the cigar industry than FDA regulation of cigars.

Also addressed were the results of the recent election. CRA had endorsed four candidates for governor, 18 candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, and two candidates for the U.S. Senate. According to Loope, all of these candidates won their races (except for two in the House), although two of the gubernatorial races were too close to call at the time of the broadcast.

When it came to endorsements and other actions by the CRA, Loope stressed that these issues are not partisan. He noted that there are “just as many Republican governors signing smoking bans as Democrat governors.”

Loope  announced that the CRA TV broadcast would become a regular weekly way of communicating with members and cigar consumers. Next week’s show, scheduled for Friday, will be live from Casa Fuente in Las Vegas; the exact time has yet to be announced.

Two other announcements were made on the broadcast: First, a new CRA Cigar Sampler will be coming soon. Like past samplers, revenues will support Cigar Rights of America. It is expected out for the holidays. Second, a consumer advisory council will be formed to further ensure that cigar consumer voices are heard, although no details were released about the board’s composition.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Cigar Rights of America

In January, I was lucky enough to get a behind-the-scenes tour of what would become CXIII Rex, a luxurious new cigar lounge planned for Alexandria, Virginia. Construction was just getting underway as I surveyed the unique space in an 18th century building adjacent to the Landini Brothers restaurant.

Noe and Franco Landini, hosts of the restaurant and avid cigar fans, wanted to develop a benchmark cigar club with unique benefits and members-only offerings. Their restaurant had been a haven for Washington-area cigar smokers for 30 years. But when it became clear that Virginia lawmakers would pass a statewide smoking ban, they started to lay plans for a separately ventilated space that promised to be one of the finest cigar venues in the country.

They delivered on that promise. With construction complete and approximately 100 of the 200 membership slots claimed, on Wednesday I got a firsthand look at CXIII Rex as a functioning locale. I was a guest at a special event featuring Padrón Cigars President Jorge Padrón.

CXIII Rex is a multi-level club with a selection of top libations and small-batch wines, ample seating, wireless internet, a state-of-the-art air ventilation system, an access-only elevator, and an all-female wait staff.

The custom-built walk-in humidor is well-stocked by the Old Virginia Tobacco Company, a seven-location retailer with exclusive offerings.

Members are entitled to private humidor lockers, pictured above. When a member swipes his card along the wall, his individual locker opens. Very cool.

The club’s layout is built for privacy, comfort, and flow. While certain areas tend to attract crowds (i.e., the bar), others are more suited to quiet conversation.

At the event on Wednesday, those in attendance received a thick toro from the Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series—a vitola exclusive to Old Virginia Tobacco.

Individual memberships, as you might expect from a club of this caliber, are expensive and going fast. But the club will also depend on the business of guests, who are welcome as long as they are accompanied by a member. I certainly hope I have the opportunity to be an invited guest again soon—maybe at the grand opening, which is slated for November.

–Patrick A

photo credits: Stogie Guys

Today is Columbus Day, which means that government employees and a few lucky others get a day off work. The holiday celebrates Christopher Columbus’ “discovery” of the Americas, which happens to be an important date for cigar fans.

That’s because Columbus is widely credited with introducing the tobacco plant to Europe, which set in motion a series of events that culminated in the cigar industry we see today. It was during Columbus’ voyages to the new world that Europeans first encountered the tobacco plant.

According to history, it was two of Columbus’ crew members who were most responsible for bringing tobacco to Europe. Both, Rodrigo de Jerez and Luis de Torres, took a liking to tobacco after seeing native Americans smoking the leaf.

After arriving in Cuba in November 1492, which Columbus thought was the Asian coast, Columbus sent Torres and de Jerez inland to explore the country and to contact its ruler. The two men were received in an Indian village where they saw the native custom of drying leaves, inserting them in cane pipes, burning them, and inhaling the smoke.

Upon his return to Spain, Jerez continued smoking and introduced his habit to his home town of Ayamonte. The smoke reportedly frightened some of his neighbors, resulting in the Spanish Inquisition imprisoning him for his use of the “devil’s weed”—making Jerez the first victim of anti-tobacco laws. He spent seven years in prison for his “sin,” only to be released as smoking was becoming an accepted activity in Spain.

One legend has Torres being threatened with prison in Spain for smoking tobacco, but in all likelihood such stories are confusing him with his fellow sailor. The more accepted history says that Torres was killed while settling Hispaniola (now the Dominican Republic and Haiti). Internal conflict wiped out the settlement party when Torres, a Jew who became Catholic under threat from the same Spanish Inquisition that later imprisoned Jerez, took issue with attempts to convert the native people to Catholicism.

Whatever the exact truth, there’s no denying that Columbus and his crew were pivotal in the history of cigars. And that is reason enough to light up a cigar fine this Columbus Day.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Wikipedia

As we’ve documented before, there’s a long tradition of sports teams celebrating a championship, gold medal, or pennant with a few victory cigars. So everything seemed normal when the Cincinnati Reds clinched the National League Central Division one week ago.

According to media reports, team owner Bob Castellini passed out victory cigars in the locker room and a number of players lit up celebratory smokes. But now the Cincinnati Department of Health has announced it will  investigate the baseball club for violations of Ohio state law.

Apparently, five anonymous callers to the state’s smoking ban tip line complained about the cigar-filled celebration. There’s no indication that any of the anonymous tipsters were present at the celebration. It could have  been anti-smoking militants, or maybe it was disgruntled Cardinals, Cubs, Astros, Brewers, or Pirates fans.

Under state law, public investigators must now return to the location of the reported violation within 30 days, at approximately the same time, to look for violations. The absurdity of an investigator stopping by the locker room when it is empty or during a playoff game has drawn fire from critics.

“Cigar Rights of America calls upon Mayor Mark Mallory and the Cincinnati City Council to rebuke the city Health Department, and direct them to stop this senseless investigation and waste of public dollars,” stated J. Glynn Loope, Executive Director of Cigar Rights of America. “This dramatizes why members of the Ohio legislature need to amend the Ohio Clean Indoor Air Act, to allow for common sense exemptions from this nanny state piece of legislation.”

–Patrick S

photo credit: Fox19

La Flor Dominicana president and founder Litto Gomez has an ad in the latest issue of Cigar Aficionado that passionately makes the case against anti-cigar legislation.

The two-page ad features a message and pictures of unhealthy foods, wine, whiskey, coffee, and cigars surrounding a photo of Litto Gomez smoking. The message reads:

It’s Time to Speak Up

Every single one of the foods or substances you see here may end up killing you…if you abuse them. But if we take them with moderation, they are harmless and make our lives really enjoyable. For some draconian reasons, our law makers have singled out cigars. Why? I remember the reason was secondhand smoking. But, in parks? in the open air?…what is this!! If we let them get away with it, they will continue to take away pleasures of our life. As adults, we have the right to choose our lifestyle. As I recall, it was called freedom, and that’s what makes America the best country in the world. If you don’t smoke and think that this does not concern you…think again, because one day, after they are done with cigars, a fat congressman while munching on his french fries will write a bill taxing your favorite food. We should not let them legislate our lifestyle. It’s Time To Stop Them.

I am Litto Gomez.

This is my personal opinion. I am a concerned citizen that believes in freedom of choice. I teach this to my children.

Ads like this cost well over $10,000, so it speaks volumes that Litto chose to run the ad. And demonstrating that the message is what’s most important, he didn’t even identify his company in the ad.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Last week we reported live for three days from the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show. If you missed it, you can review our coverage here. (Also, be sure to read our IPCPR previews here and here.) But even after our 23 live updates, we still had plenty of information that we didn’t have time to publish directly from New Orleans. So today we wrap up our comprehensive coverage of the event:

Drew Estate: One of the most interesting conversations we had was with Drew Estate President Steve Saka. Saka says he and everyone at the company have been free to innovate because there are no past generations to roll over in their graves. He was excited about the Unico Serie, of which the first release is the Dirty Rat. Unico will give him a venue to introduce limited releases and special projects that don’t fit neatly into other lines. For example, Saka says he made 250 different blends as part of the Liga Privada project. One cigar he’s considering for Unico is a version of the Dirty Rat he calls the Ratzilla (6 x 46). The Dirty Rat blend, Saka told us, is good up until about a 46 or 48 ring gauge. Another project he’s working on treats cigars like craft beer. One blend tastes like beef jerky, although Saka hasn’t yet decided if that’s a good thing or not.

Oliva: The Connecticut Reserve gets a new size, a Double Toro (6 x 60), that will come in boxes of ten. Cain, both the Maduro and Habano versions, is now available in Nub sizes. There are also rumors, as there have been for a couple of years now, that Oliva still has some Master Blends I and II aging and may bring them to market at some point. Also rumored is that a limited but regular production cigar named “Melanio” (after Gilberto Oliva’s grandfather) is in the works with an estimated MSRP of $12-15 per cigar.

Ashton: Ashton will continue to release about 1,000 boxes per year of the La Aroma de Cuba and San Cristobal Lancero samplers. Introduced this year is the “Perfection Selection” sample, which features 10 salomon-sized cigars, two each of the three La Aroma de Cuba lines. Also new is a size extension in the VSG, a tubo called “Eclipse” (6.25 x 52) that is already available.

E.P. Carrillo: Ernesto-Perez Carrillo’s family company will be releasing their “Core” line in mid-September. It features a Sumatra wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and a blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican filler tobaccos. It will be available in boxes of 20 in 6 sizes with MSRPs ranging from $6.45-8.70. Carrillo said that they currently have enough tobacco to produce the line for 2-3 years and described it as being a cross between the Inaugural 2009 and the Short Run blends that he has already released. Also new from E.P. Carrillo is the 2010 LE, which features a Brazilian habano wrapper, Dominican binder, and Nicaraguan filler with an MSRP of $15 per cigar. Only 1,000 boxes of ten will be produced and it is already sold out to retailers. Carrillo said he’s just finishing up the construction of his new 40,000-square-foot factory in the Dominican. With it fully up and running, he’ll be able to introduce more new cigars, including a couple of “Short Run” products each year, with the next coming in early 2011.

La Palina: Bill Paley told us about the La Palina Family Blend, which was debuting only a few months after the Limited Edition 1896 Robusto. The four shapes are each named after a family member. “Pasha” was the nickname for Bill’s father, William Paley Sr., the founder and Chairman of CBS. “Babe” is named for Bill’s mother, while “Alison” is named for his wife. Finally, “Little Bill” was Bill’s nickname growing up. More information on the sizes can be found in our preview post.

New Humidification Devices: With so many fine new cigars on the market, cigar makers are getting serious about humidification. Perhaps they realize that as cigar smokers grow more confident in their humidor, they are more likely to buy more cigars to age. Ashton will now be distributing Boveda, a maker of various humidification products. The Drew Estate booth featured a product called Cigar Mechanic, which uses non-propylene glycol two-way humidification products. Cigar Mechanic was also featuring some large protective travel cigar cases, including one designed to be pulled on two wheels. Alec Bradley had a new humidification system called Dr. RH. Alec Bradley President Alan Rubin explained to us that “humidity is second only to quality of tobacco” when it comes to how good a cigar is. To that end, Dr. RH uses three sizes of humidification beads and, through their website, you can even set up customized email reminders to check your humidor.

–Patrick S and Patrick M

photo credit: Stogie Guys

[Editors’ Note: NEW ORLEANS — Stogie Guys staffers Patrick S and Patrick M are reporting live today from the 78th annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show. This convention is where cigar makers from around the world come to showcase their products and debut their new creations. Check back throughout the day for live updates.]

6:00am Central: Yesterday, Bruce Lewis of the Toraño Family Cigar Company told us that the recent changes at the his outfit have been very well received by retailers. The company is releasing three new lines (detailed in our interview with Charlie Toraño last month): Brigade, Master, and Single Region. In addition, Toraño is expanding the Exodus 50 Years series to include a box-pressed robusto size. We also learned that the Signature blend has become a private label exclusive to Famous Smoke Shop.

6:05am Central: Also yesterday, Pinar del Rio’s Abe Flores reported that the new 1878 Capa Madura is doing very well, with 8,000 boxes sold since it launched just over two months ago. Priced around $5 each, he hopes the blend will introduce smokers to Pinar del Rio and his other lines.

12:05pm Central: A quick chat with Litto Gomez revealed some exciting news from la Flor Dominicana, including that Airbender was La Flor’s “most successful release ever.” Debuting at the show is the new Airbender Chisel with a stronger, darker, and thicker wrapper because, according to Gomez, “the Chisel deserves respect.” Also new is the Maduro Soloman. Litto told us that the LG Vintage 2010 and Small Batch No. 3 would be shipping soon. Additionally, new 5-cigar samplers were also available including a maduro sampler with never-before released Coronado Maduro double coronas and Airbender maduros.

12:15pm Central: As expected, CAO released the new La Traviata Maduro in three sizes. I smoked one this morning and found a medium-bodied smoke with lush chocolate and espresso notes. I’m predicting that, much like the original La Traviata, this will be a hit, particularly at its $5-6 price point. Also out for the show are a number of line extensions including a small Cameroon perfecto, a large (6 x 60) Lx2, an Lx2 box press (4 x 45), and four-inch cigars in tins of five for both the Lx2 and La Traviata.

12:25pm Central: My Father will be releasing a Limited Edition line extension that will be personally rolled by Jamie and Pepin Garcia. The Limited Edition will come in coffins of twelve and only 2,000 boxes will be released. MSRP on the Limited Edition will be somewhere between $20-$25 per cigar and will be available in mid to late September.

12:30pm Central: Viaje debuted last year with their Oro and Platino lines and have since followed up with a bunch of micro lines. The line available at the show this year is Sartori, which means “enlightenment. ” Sartori’s MSRP is $12 per cigar and only 450 boxes will be produced. Also new from Viaje is a 50/50 Red Label with two different fused filler blends. Only 450 boxes will be produced.

12:40pm Central: We stopped by El Primer Mundo to talk with owner Sean Williams, who told us about the new Liga Miami that is being handmade in Miami at El Titan de Bronze. The blend is rolled “entubado,” meaning all of the filler leaves are rolled individually instead of being bunched and rolled at once. Then the filler is wrapped with two binders to provide extra support. Liga Miami features a Nicaraguan binder, Nicaraguan and Dominican ligero fillers, and an Ecuadorian sun-grown wrapper with an MSRP of $9.50 per cigar.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys